The Friendship Files
by theicemenace
Summary: The exploration of various friendships among the Atlantis expedition.
1. True Friends

**A/N: **Many thanks, again, to voyfan7 for assistance with this story. It's good to have friends when the plot bunnies go MIA.

**The Friendship Files**

**Chapter 1**

**True Friends**

Jennifer and Rodney were in their pajamas sitting up in bed watching a movie. She sighed and snuggled closer. He grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl on his lap, slipped some between her lips then tossed a few kernels into his own mouth and chewed. The movie was boring but it had been her choice so he didn't complain. He glanced over at her but she didn't seem to be paying much attention to it either.

"So, what are you looking for on J59-KJR?"

"It has an abundance of a plant that has properties similar to _asphoedelaceae_ which is used in Pegasus to combat diabetes and prevent several of the less virulent forms of cancer. We'll be doing some onsite testing before we commit resources to the research so we'll be gone for a few days."

"And when you get back, I'll be gone. My team will be on MJ7-Q8C for almost a month."

She brought a finger to her lips for quiet but he'd completely lost interest in the movie and started thinking of other things they could do to pass the time. His arm around her shoulders slipped down to her waist to pull her closer, his fingers working their way under the edge of her top to touch her skin. He turned his head and began kissing her neck making her moan.

Her hand resting on his thigh flexed and curled in reaction. When his teeth lightly nipped her earlobe she swung a leg over both of his and straddled his lap knocking the bowl of popcorn to the floor. "It's about time. I've been waiting for you to make a move since the movie started." She kissed him on the lips then both cheeks, his nose, over to one ear then to the other.

"Mmm. Sorry it took so long." His arms went around her and rolled until she was looking up at him. "How about if I make it up to you?"

Her hands found the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it to the floor. "That works for me." She wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him close while the other hand located the remote and shut off the video.

*****

"Evan! Could I have a few words?" Jennifer sat down across from Major Lorne on the Mess Hall patio.

"Sure. Have as many as you need."

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing. Rodney and I have plans to go to the mainland for a couple of days for a picnic under the stars, hiking, exploring caves…swimming."

"Sounds like fun. What's so…ah, you don't know how to swim."

Her cheeks turned pink. "Yes. I've been told that the area of J59-KJR we'll be camping in has a pond or lake or something. Could you…"

"Teach you? I'd consider it a privilege, Doc."

"Great. Thanks!"

*****

"Colonel Sheppard, why are we setting up camp so far from the lake?" Dr. Gerald Parrish complained as he checked over his equipment. The sun was just setting throwing long shadows across the ground.

"I like this area. Easily defensible, slightly elevated from the surrounding area in case of rain, plenty of trees and it's close to the Jumper just in case." Sheppard continued to unpack the tent.

"But it's over half a kilometer to the lake for water."

"Then make sure you get enough the first time so you don't have to make a second trip." Lorne suggested as he surreptitiously reached around and tugged at the back of his pants. He'd worn his swim trunks under his uniform so he wouldn't have to change and they were giving him a wedgie. Apparently Jennifer had the same idea because he saw bright purple when she bent over to check her equipment. Not that he was looking.

They would be here for four days and three nights so the cooking and cleaning duties were split between the six of them. Drs. Parrish and Kiang had drawn KP the first night, Ronon and Sheppard the second night and Lorne and Keller the third. Only lunch and supper would be a group affair. Everyone was on their own for breakfast except for coffee.

With lots of grunting, shouting and swearing the tent was finally up. The scientists shut down their equipment for the night.

After supper Jennifer grabbed the tote bag that contained her towel, organic soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and clean clothes. "Major, I need to go down to the lake. Would you escort me?"

"Sure, Doc." He grabbed his own bag and followed her down the path.

When they arrived at the lake it was full night so he set a light on a tripod. She stripped off her jacket and tossed it onto a bush while Lorne took off his vest. When she grasped the hem of her top he turned his back and took off his uniform. A few minutes later he jumped when she tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and there she stood in a vivid purple two-piece bathing suit that had a little white bow in the front where the top came together between her breasts. To his great relief the suit was rather conservative compared to most you see on the beaches of Earth and everything that should be covered was. He was wearing baggy khaki-colored swim trunks that went almost to his knees.

They walked out into the lake until the water was up to their waist.

"So what do we do first?" Jennifer asked.

"The first thing they teach children is how to hold their breath but I think we can skip right to lesson number two: floating." He lay back, closed his eyes and lifted his feet. After a minute or so he stood again, wiping away the water that dripped down his face. "It's easy. Try it."

She leaned back, lifted her feet, panicked and went under. Lorne grabbed her under the arms and pulled her to the surface. She stood with her hands on his shoulders gasping and spitting out water.

"Let's try something else. Stand here in front of me. I'm going to put my hands under your back to support you." He placed a hand between her shoulders. "Now lean back," His other hand moved to her lower back as his voice became soft and soothing, "good…lift your feet…relax…I've got you…I won't let you fall…close your eyes…pretend you're floating on a cloud…"

"Floating on a cloud…" She whispered. He slowly took his hands away leaving her suspended on the surface of the water. He stopped talking so she opened her eyes and he was standing beside her with his arms crossed. She came to her feet pushing the hair out of her eyes. "I did it! I floated!"

"You did great! All you need is some practice. Once you can float without help we'll start the next lesson."

"Okay. Let's try it again." She did it again and again until she was finally floating without assistance or hesitation.

"Good job! That's enough for today. Let's get back to camp."

*****

The second night he held her by the waist on top of the water as she kicked to learn the rhythm. This part really should have been done with a kickboard but they didn't have one so they made due.

He went to the next step and taught her the arm movements. "The key to swimming is to establish a rhythm between the arms and the feet. Because you're an adult, we'll do arms, legs and breathing all at once." Standing on the shore, he demonstrated how to move her arms and when to turn her head to the side to take a breath describing it as he did it, "Don't keep your arms stiff and slap the water. Stiffen your fingers when entering the water at an angle in front and once your hand is under water curl your fingers into a 'cup' shape for the rest of the stroke. While your face is underwater you should be breathing out so that when your mouth surfaces your lungs are empty and you can take a full breath. If you breathe on your right side you should take a breath as your right arm strokes past your face, and your left arm is beginning a new stroke in front." She copied his movements.

The third night when he was satisfied that she had the rhythm they went into the water. "Watch me then you try it." He swam about thirty meters parallel to the shore then returned. "Ready? Push off, swim, count to ten then turn around and swim back."

Taking a deep breath, she dug her toes into the sand and pushed off the bottom. After just a couple of strokes she stopped and stood coughing. "My mouth is getting full of water every time I take a breath."

"You're turning your head to breathe at the wrong point. Watch." He demonstrated again, she nodded and again pushed off. This time she kept going for the count of ten, stopped, turned around and swam back to his side. "I did it!"

"Again." She swam out, turned and came back. "One more time." When she returned to his side for the third time her face was shining with a glow that comes from achieving a goal you thought was out of reach.

"I can swim, Evan! I can swim!"

"Yes, you can!" She hugged him and he let her, just for a moment. As they turned for shore she lost her footing and fell backwards. "You okay?" He asked as he put her back on her feet.

"Fine." She started forward again but was brought up short when something tugged at her back.

"Hold still. My dog tags are caught." He turned them but the light from the shore didn't help. "I can't see to get them loose."

"Well, do _something_. We can't stay here like this all night."

He looked at his watch. "True. If we don't get back to camp soon Sheppard or Ronon will come looking for us and your secret will be out."

"No! They'll tell Rodney!"

Lorne sighed. "I'll take them off and you can get them back to me later." He'd started to slip the chain over his head when the hook at the back of her top came undone at the same time the tie around her neck let go. He stumbled backward when her top flew off and sank beneath the dark water. He quickly turned his back covering his eyes. "Oh, good Lord."

She ducked under the water up to her neck sweeping her hands around trying to find her wayward bathing suit top. Her head snapped around when they heard rustling in the bushes and what might have been footsteps. He stepped protectively in front of her, his body tensed for a fight.

"Evan! Wh-what is it?"

"If we're lucky it's just a wild animal."

She crossed her arms over her bare chest, faced away from the shore back to back with him. "And if we're not?"

"It's his commanding officer who, on occasion, has been accused of being a wild animal." Sheppard stepped out of the bushes, leaned against a tree and crossed his arms. They looked back at him with wide eyes and identical hands-in-the-cookie-jar expressions. "I _knew_ you were up to something you didn't want anyone else to know about."

"Colonel…" Lorne started.

He moved closer to the water and crouched in the wet sand of the shore cutting him off. "_And_ if I had to guess, I'd say it's _not_ what it looks like, Major. It would be wildly out of character for the two of you to fool around with each other when one of you is 'taken.' Personally, I think the reason you've been down here alone every night for extended periods is because you're teaching her how to swim."

Jennifer sagged in relief. "Yes. You aren't going to tell Rodney, are you?"

"No. Just remember this when my next physical comes up." He stood up. "Now come out of there before Dr. Parrish comes along. He can't keep a secret."

"We can't. Uh, _she_ can't."

"Why not?"

"There's…a problem."

Sheppard was getting exasperated. "What _kind_ of problem?"

"I, uh, that is, _she_…"

"She what?"

Jennifer let out a growl of frustration. "_She _lost her bathing suit top and can't find it."

Sheppard's eyes grew alarmed and he turned quickly away. "Oh! Uh…"

They heard voices coming closer and saw flashlight beams bobbing through the trees. "Sheppard?" A moment later Ronon, Parrish and Kiang emerged from the darkness. "What going on? Where's Jennifer?"

The two men looked around and were at a loss to explain the disappearance of the scantily clad doctor.

"She's…" Sheppard started.

"…in the bushes changing clothes." Lorne finished for him.

Ronon peered into the darkness around them. "I don't see or hear her and her bag is right there." He pointed to where her tote rested on the ground next to Lorne's.

"Uh, maybe she's gone to..." Sheppard let his voice trail off and Ronon nodded understanding though his expression said otherwise. He knew they were hiding something but also knew that no harm would come to Jennifer in their presence. "Go back to the base camp and we'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay." The group moved back into the trees and faded from sight.

Sheppard turned back to Lorne peering into the darkness. "Where did she go?"

The Major shrugged as he turned in a circle but still didn't see Jennifer. Water bubbled in front of him and she shot out of the water sputtering and spitting. They spun away again.

"I didn't see anything. I _swear._" Sheppard told her.

"Neither did I." Both men now had their hands over their eyes.

"I especially didn't see that star-shaped mole right next to your, uh…" The Colonel gestured.

"_John!_"

"Sorry! Sorry! Um…" He reached into her bag and pulled out a t-shirt. Walking backward, he handed it to Lorne who passed it over his shoulder to the doctor.

They heard the rustle of clothing then, "Okay. I'm decent…finally. _Grrr!_ This has to be _the_ most embarrassing thing to _ever_ happen to me." She walked out of the water, picked up her bag, gathered the tattered remains of her dignity around her and said, "I'm going to change. We will never, _ever_ speak of this again. Clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Sheppard and Lorne said dutifully as she flicked on a flashlight and disappeared into the darkness. Lorne used his towel to dry his hair, face, chest and arms then pulled on a t-shirt.

Sheppard took a deep relieved breath and let it out slowly. "You saw the mole, didn't you?"

"Oh, yeah!" Lorne responded with a smile.

*****

They'd nearly finished packing their equipment and stowing it in the Jumper when Gerald Parrish walked back into the camp. He'd been down to the lake doing who knows what.

"Gerald, what is _that_?" Susan Kiang asked indicating a bundle of cloth he held in one hand.

"Believe it or not, it looks like the top half of a woman's bathing suit." He dangled it by one strap.

Susan gave him a puzzled frown. They were both astrobiologists and had little interest in anything outside their field of study. "Where did you find it?"

"The lake. It was washed up on the shore."

"What would something like this be doing on an uninhabited planet? Did we miss something?" She examined the material. "Maybe there are technologically advance inhabitants living on another part of this world. Oh! This is composed of elastane and polyamides!"

"Spandex and nylon? How do you know?"

She showed him the tag. "It says so right here. It also says it was made in Mexico."

"Oh."

Jennifer snatched the bright purple material from Dr. Kiang's hands and shook it in both their faces. "Forget you saw this or I _promise_ I will make your lives miserable. And I can do it. I'm a _medical doctor!_"

The two astrobiologists gulped. "Yes, Ma'am."

*****

_Knock, knock!_ Jennifer looked up from the microscope to see Chuck standing in the doorway of the lab. He held a package in both hands. "Hey, Doc. This came for you in today's offload from the _Daedalus_."

"Great. Thanks." He smiled, placed it on the table by the door and departed.

Jennifer stood up, looked around outside and closed the door. She examined the return address and smiled with delight. Opening the box she removed two large gift bags. Peeking inside each, she checked the contents then, satisfied that everything was as it should be, tapped her headset. "Keller to Sheppard."

"Sheppard."

"Where are you?"

"Mess Hall."

"Is Evan there by any chance?"

"He is."

"Don't either of you leave. I'll be right there." Jennifer grabbed the bags and headed out.

*****

Sheppard and Lorne saw Jennifer enter the Mess Hall and head toward them.

"You're thinking about that mole, aren't you?" Lorne asked.

"Uh-huh. You?"

"Yeah."

They both sighed just as she came to stand at the end of their table. "Hi, guys. Here." She passed the bag covered with footballs to Sheppard and the one with an abstract design to Lorne.

"What are these for?"

"The two of you have been true friends and I wanted to do something to thank you." She pulled a chair up to the end of the table.

Inside his bag Lorne found watercolor paints in a variety of colors, a small stack of paper specifically for painting watercolors and brushes. He was speechless.

"I heard through the grapevine that you like to paint so…" She gestured at the painting supplies and gave his hand a quick squeeze. "Thank you for teaching me to swim."

"I don't know what to say, Doc."

"Then say nothing at all. Just accept it with my eternal gratitude."

"I will and I do. Thank you." He put everything back in the bag and looked expectantly at Sheppard.

The Colonel pulled the tissue paper out of his bag and peered inside. A look of dismay crossed his face then came back for a second pass. "You have _got_ to be kidding!"

"I saw them in a catalog and thought they'd be perfect. I had to guess at the size though." Jennifer smiled.

Lorne reached over, pulled the bag toward him and looked inside. "They're definitely _you,_ sir." His lips twisted into a smirk. "Let's see if they fit."

Sheppard pulled the bag away. "No! I, uh, I'll try them on when I get back to my quarters."

Jennifer tried not to laugh and failed in dazzling fashion. First it was just a small giggle but before long she was laughing so hard tears rolled down her cheeks. She heard Lorne laughing as well. After a few minutes they were able to get themselves under control but made the monumental mistake of looking at each other. They burst out laughing again.

Sheppard stood, pushed his chair in and picked up his gift. "I'll talk to you two goofballs later. Some of us have actual work to do."

Rodney arrived at that moment, gave Jennifer a quick kiss then sat down across from Lorne. "What's with him?" He hooked a thumb over his shoulder at Sheppard's retreating back.

"Nothing, Rodney dear. He's been in a strange mood today."

"Huh." He picked up his spoon and took a bite of his blue Jell-O. "Well, I cannot even _begin_ to tell you how glad I am to be home again after spending a month offworld. What did I miss? How was your trip to J59-KJR?" He looked from Jennifer to Lorne and back again. "What's so funny?"

They couldn't answer. They were laughing too hard.

*****

Sheppard tugged off first the left boot then the right. He pulled his t-shirt off and tossed it in the laundry basket. It was quickly followed by his khakis, socks and boxers. After taking a long hot shower and washing his hair he brushed and flossed his teeth then put on his black pajama pants and his favorite t-shirt for sleeping.

Sitting on the side of his bed he picked up the bag given to him by Jennifer and removed the contents. He looked at the slippers from every angle and gave a small laugh._ What the hell? It couldn't hurt to try them on._ He stuck his feet into the surprisingly soft material, wiggled his toes then stood and bounced a few times. The soles were heavily cushioned and _very_ comfortable. _Hey, these feel really good after being on my feet most of the day!_

He propped his pillow up at the head of the bed and took a comic book from the stack on the bedside table. He wiggled his feet watching the long droopy ears of the bright pink bunny slippers flop around, grinned and opened the Spiderman comic to the first page.

**The End**


	2. Priceless

**A/N: **Thanks to voyfan7 once again for her invaluable assistance with this story.

**The Friendship Files**

**Chapter 2**

**Priceless**

"So?"

"So…it's not _done_ yet."

"What is taking so long, Rodney?" Teyla was concerned and let her annoyance with her teammate show. "You only have six days."

"I know but I don't have much time to work on it. The IOA and the SGC are on my back to complete some of my research projects, there are reports and proposals to write, Woolsey is demanding that I redo _all_ of my semi-annual performance reviews _again_ and if I don't get at least eight hours of sleep a night…" he trailed off.

"You can't function. We know." Ronon remarked.

"Yes, but no. That's not it."

"Then what?" Lorne wanted to know.

The physicist blushed and mumbled something under his breath that no one could hear.

"Rodney?" Teyla, sitting next to him, nudged him with her elbow.

He couldn't meet any of their eyes. "Ever since I was cured of that parasite Jennifer…makes me go to bed by 2430. If I'm not in my quarters by then she comes after me." Their amusement rolled over him. "Go ahead and laugh. It's not like this is my first ride on the humiliation train.

"The worst part is she has help. If I try to work past her arbitrarily imposed curfew, she has Radek shut off power to my work area. It can't be turned back on unless I go to the main lab and when I get there, there stands Jennifer with her 'I'm in charge and you'll do what I say or suffer the consequences' look. It's easier to just…give in."

Ronon and Lorne started to laugh but Teyla shot them a sharp look, the one Sheppard called her "mom face".

"In order to finish it on time, I'm going to need some help. Someone has to distract Sheppard. He thinks I'm becoming depressed and withdrawing from social interaction. He won't leave me alone! Jennifer has tried to help but she can only do so much. He's becoming suspicious."

"We will assist you, Rodney." She looked relieved that it wasn't something more serious.

"That's great. How?"

Lorne, Ronon and Teyla exchanged enigmatic grins. "Leave that to us. Rest assured that he will not be bothering you again. At least for a while."

Rodney didn't know whether to be relieved or scared but settled for nodding his thanks. He gathered up his tablet PC, excused himself and left the three warriors to plot and plan.

*****

"Okay. We are ready to try powering up." Rodney was alone in the lab he'd co-opted for his special project and talking to himself sometimes helped sort things out in his mind when he was tired. He picked up his tablet, tapped a few keys and the device roared to life.

"Yes!"

He made a few adjustments to pitch and timbre until he was satisfied that it was perfect. His finger hovered over the save key and…all power went out. Turning his wrist he could see that the time was exactly 2430. "Oh, _crap!_" He tapped his headset. "Teyla, Ronon, Lorne, come in." One by one they came online. "The power to the lab has been shut down and has just cost me an _entire _night's work. If it happens again, it won't be completed in time. We need a way to distract Radek and Jennifer."

"I have an idea for a distraction for Jennifer, Rodney, but cannot implement it until morning." Teyla told him.

"And I can get rid of Radek for a couple of days but also not until morning. On the upside, once the two of them are out of the way, I can make up for lost time and this thing will be ready two to three days early. That way I can take it for a test run to work out any glitches or bugs in the programming _before_ the big day."

*****

Sheppard sat up in bed. He thought he heard a sound he hadn't heard in years. He was certain it was his imagination, that is, until he heard it again.

There it was again! He got out of bed and left his quarters following the sound down the hall. Turning his head side to side, his eyes and ears alert, he tracked the sound to a three way junction down the hall from his quarters. Before he could zero in on the correct direction it cut off.

"Crap!" He turned in a circle but the sound was gone. He stood there for a while hoping it would start up again but eventually footsteps replaced the mystery noise and a few seconds later Rodney joined him.

"John," The physicist looked him up and down, "what are you doing out here in your pajamas?"

Sheppard walked around Rodney, his head cocked to one side. "I thought I heard…"

"Heard what?"

"It must have been my imagination. There's no way I could have heard what I thought I heard. I'll, uh, just go back to bed."

"O-kay." Rodney let himself into his quarters and tapped his headset. "McKay to Woolsey. We have yet _another _problem with Operation: _Überraschung_."

"What sort of problem this time?"

He exhaled loudly. "I tested the audio enhancements tonight and apparently his above average hearing picked it up. We need to get him out of the city so we can do a test run or the cat will most definitely be out of the bag."

"Leave that to me, Rodney. I'll take care of it."

"Thanks, Richard."

*****

The next morning, at Teyla's urging, Woolsey sent a medical team to the mainland to give the Athosian children wellness physicals. Rodney found her supervising the loading of portable scanning equipment into a pair of Jumpers.

"Rodney, honey, what are you doing here?"

"I was thinking I would come along. We could spend a little time together away from the city, maybe do a little hiking, you know, for exercise."

"As nice as that sounds, I'm going to be _way_ too busy for hiking." She opened a medkit to check the contents. "Besides, you have a heavy workload. Don't want to tick off the IOA."

"Let _me_ worry about the IOA. I don't want us to be one of those couples who put work before spending time together. Unless there's a really good reason, like attacking Wraith or a virulent disease running rampant." Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. "What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head as if to clear it. "It's time to go. Make sure you stick to the food and exercise plan and I especially want you to get plenty of rest."

"That's easy when you have a brilliant scientist like Radek as your partner in crime." He gave her a quick kiss good-bye then stepped back out of the way as she climbed into Jumper one. The hatch closed and it headed out of the Jumper bay closely followed by Jumper six.

Rodney rubbed his hands together with glee. _Oh, this is working out splendidly!_

*****

Radek Zelenka was not a happy man. He was being sent to a planet full of children again!

"Rodney, I do not understand why _I _must be the one to go to M7G-677. They should not be having problems with their EM field."

"Everything is working within normal parameters, Radek. This is just routine maintenance and the Elders have specifically requested you and your team because they _like_ you."

"But _I_ do not like _them_. You know how I feel. My sister's child…"

"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We've all heard about your ill-mannered nephew. Just get going. The emitters won't maintain themselves. And make sure you take plenty of chocolate for the little ones."

Swearing out loud in Czech, Radek finished preparing his equipment for transport while the rest of his team did the same. To amuse himself, he devised many creative ways to get revenge on Rodney for his heartlessness. Rodney had always said he had a fear and dislike of children but, truth be told, he was actually very good with them. Mostly because he did not treat them like children, he didn't talk down to them. But Radek's abhorrence and loathing went bone deep. _If they even_ try_ to touch my hair this time…_

*****

"John! John, wait up!" Rodney ran to catch up with Sheppard. "Where're you headed?"

The Air Force Colonel scowled at the physicist. "I have to ferry Drs. Parrish and Kiang to the mainland…again. Something about plant life that grows where it shouldn't or should but doesn't. Whatever!" He threw his hands in the air.

"Why can't Lorne take them?"

"Because, Rodney, they specifically requested _me_ and our esteemed commander was more than happy to accommodate them. And don't ask why again because I _don't know_."

"Okay, I won't." Rodney slapped him on the back. "Well, have a good time and stay out of trouble. Remember what happened the last time." He made a right turn and was gone.

Sheppard climbed the stairs to the Jumper bay. He was greeted by both astrobiologists already seated in the back of Jumper three with their equipment but ignored them. Power thrummed through the ship as it lifted up though the bay doors and headed for the mainland. Twenty minutes later they arrived at the designated coordinates.

He picked up his P-90 and prowled the perimeter restlessly while they set up. He watched the scientists as they had an intense whispered conversation. Kiang nodded emphatically in response to something Parrish said, he patted her on the shoulder then walked off into the forest alone.

Sheppard's previous attraction to Susan Kiang had dissipated not long into their first trip. She had bored him to tears with her talk of class G stars, photosynthesis, chlorophyll, and whatnot. Then he'd had to deal with the AI of the Sekkari which had shown itself to him in the form of his dead foe, Genii Commander Acastus Kolya. He would forevermore associate one with the other thereby creating an aversion that was almost instinctive.

"Colonel Sheppard!" He whipped around, weapon raised. It was Dr. Kiang who was more than smart enough to have known better than to sneak up on an armed soldier.

"Sorry, Doc. What, uh, can I do for you?"

She'd taken off her jacket and her hands were laced together in front of her. The light blue tank top she wore allowed the smallest bit of cleavage to peek out at the V-neck, just enough to entice. The clip holding her waist length black hair was gone and it now hung in a long dark curtain over her shoulders. "Please call me Susan. I was hoping we could…talk." She smiled, her cheeks dimpling. A very light dusting of freckles were sprinkled across her nose. To most people they would be barely noticeable but _he_ saw them.

"What about the testing or whatever?"

She looked over her shoulder then up into his eyes. "Gerald has that well in hand."

"So, what should we talk about…Susan?"

"The coconut telegraph tells me you are a big fan of Ferris wheels. I love Ferris wheels…John. I've ridden more than a hundred different ones all over Earth."

He watched her with wide eyes. What had changed that she would now be more interested in _him_ than studying the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life of the universe in general and New Athos in particular? It didn't matter. The attraction returned slow and easy and he found himself relaxing into the conversation. They found a boulder and sat there talking and laughing for hours.

*****

Teyla took in the bandage on Rodney's cheek and his left arm in a sling. "Did the testing not go well, Rodney?"

The physicist glared. "It went _fine_. I got _this_ when Conan" he pointed at Ronon sitting across from him "stepped out in front of me. The inertial dampeners weren't online yet, I swerved to avoid him and hit a wall. Nothing's broken, thank God."

"What about the-"

"It's fine, too. Just one more test run and it will be ready." He adjusted the sling more comfortably on his shoulder. "Jennifer, Radek and John will be back by lunch time tomorrow so we'll test the inertial dampeners tonight. Major Lorne will do the honors."

Teyla smiled. "Good. Everything is ready for the event. It will be my task to get him there on time and without arousing suspicion."

"Did the other items arrive with the offload from the _Daedalus_?"

"Yes. The packages have been distributed and everyone has been cautioned to arrive early."

"Great! Operation: _Überraschung_ will commence in two days at 2000 in the Rec Room."

**1950 Two Days Later **

Teyla tapped her headset. "Teyla to Rodney, Radek, Lorne, Carson, Ronon and Mr. Woolsey. John will _not_ accompany me to the Rec Room."

"_What?_ Why not?" Rodney asked. He was picturing all of his hard work and lost sleep going down the drain.

"He says he does not wish to attend the movie tonight preferring to sit alone in his room reading."

Woolsey broke in. "He'll be there. Leave it to me."

"Good. Thanks, Richard."

*****

"I thought you had to work tonight, Susan." Sheppard walked side by side with the astrobiologist. He was dressed casually in faded jeans, black t-shirt and black cross-trainers. She was wearing jeans as well, a white tank top and white cross-trainers.

"I did but decided I needed a little time off. The work will still be there in the morning."

They enjoyed an easy camaraderie on the way to the Rec Room talking about nothing in particular. When they arrived the room was in darkness and he could hear people moving around. "Looks like it's already started."

Susan activated the door sensor, entered the room and immediately stepped to the side out of the way. Sheppard jumped when the lights flicked on and he heard an earsplitting shout of "Surprise!" His hand reached for the 9mm he'd left in his quarters.

"What the-" He looked around in confusion.

There was a group of about thirty in attendance all cheering, blowing noise makers and tossing confetti in the air. On the back wall was a banner that said "Happy Birthday, John Sheppard!" Below that was a table with a large cake in the shape of a Jumper and only one candle. Off to the side was another table with brightly wrapped packages. In the shadows sat a shapeless lump covered with a sheet.

"This is all very nice but my birthday is…"

"Today?" Woolsey supplied the date.

"Oh. Yeah. Today. I've kinda lost track, what with living in another galaxy and all."

Rodney, the self-appointed spokesperson, stepped forward while Teyla passed Sheppard and Kiang each a glass of champagne. "We all know that brevity is the soul of wit so I'll make this quick." He paused when laughter, whistling and applause came from the crowd. "Yes, yes. Very amusing. Just let me say my piece so we can get to the good stuff: cake and presents. Raise your glasses, one and all to our colleague and friend, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. May you have the hindsight to know where you've been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far." He raised his glass toward Sheppard as did the others. "Happy Birthday!"

"Wow!" The guest of honor exclaimed uncomfortably after everyone had taken a sip from whatever beverage they preferred. "This is so unexpected and so…unnecessary. I don't usually celebrate my birthday, but, well, we're here, we've got cake and presents, so let's party!"

*****

Sheppard was standing in front of the table, arms crossed, looking at his birthday gifts. Some of them made perfect sense: golf balls, golf shirts, a Tiger Woods wedge, etc. But what was he supposed to do with black leather boots, five pocket loose fit black leather jeans, a classic black leather bomber jacket, a pair of leather gloves, and a glossy black full-face modular flip-up helmet made of lightweight polycarbonate?

"Uh, Rodney…"

"Yes, yes, I know. Why would we give you," he gestured at the items puzzling his friend, "these when you don't own a motorcycle? You're probably also wondering why you haven't received a gift from me."

"Yes and no. You've _never_ given me a birthday gift."

"Well, that changes right now." Rodney walked over the shrouded object motioning for Sheppard to follow. When he stayed rooted to the spot Ronon took him by the arm and dragged him over.

"You're scaring me, McKay."

"Sorry." Sheppard didn't move. "Don't just stand there. Open it."

He gave the physicist a look that promised pain and suffering. "Okay, let's see what this is." He grasped the sheet edge and, taking a deep breath, whipped it off. "It's…it's…a motorcycle."

"It is indeed. We call it the Pegasus Prowler." Rodney rocked back and forth, waiting to be praised. "Feel free to change it."

Sheppard walked around and around the motorcycle looking at it from all angles while the physicist describe the vehicle's attributes.

"The original 1250cc liquid-cooled V-twin revolution engine has been replaced with a _brilliantly_ modified sublight engine that will allow it to hit the big end at 320 KPH, give or take. We kept the brushed, straight-shot exhaust just for show, there's a sport front fender, a low profile rear fender, two-piece two-up textured seats, a 240mm wide rear tire and stainless steel low-rise handlebars. It also has inertial dampeners that can be switched off at your discretion. The clothing and helmet, rather than performing necessary functions as they do on Earth, are meant to _enhance_ the experience. Though, if you elect _not_ to use the IDs, then I would wear the helmet. It'll make identifying the body easier." The room erupted in laughter and Jennifer slapped Rodney on his good arm.

"How, uh, how…"

"Ah, well, long story short, I had _lots_ of help." He waved his arm to indicate the others in the room. "Each of the people in this room assisted in some way in the creation of this masterpiece of engineering." Rodney moved around the room. "There was the ordering of parts from Earth, putting those parts together, cannibalizing still more parts from that Jumper we couldn't get to fly again, software testing, hardware testing, road testing." He came to a stop in front of Richard Woolsey, Susan Kiang and Gerald Parrish. "Some of us were kind enough to help by keeping you distracted so we could take it for a test drive then, later, making sure you arrived here on time." When he got to Jennifer he touched her gently on the cheek. "And others saw to it that I had the rest I needed in order to perform the work." He turned to face Sheppard again.

Sheppard looked at is friend in astonishment. Rodney was actually _sharing_ credit! No doubt it was Jennifer's influence. He wasn't completely certain he liked this kinder and gentler Rodney McKay but he'd give himself a chance to get used to it before passing judgment.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why go to all this trouble for a birthday gift?"

"Uh, well, it's uh, because I, uh, that is _we_…" Rodney stuttered and stammered waving a hand vaguely.

Teyla put a hand on his arm. "What Rodney is trying to say is we love you, John, and wanted to give you something special to show you."

Sheppard turned to Rodney. "Is that true?"

"Um, well, yes, i-i-in the way a friend feels about, you know, another friend."

"This is the most amazing gift anyone has given me in _years_ and a simple thank you just doesn't seem adequate." Sheppard snapped his fingers. "Rodney, you can be the first in the P-Pad. Oh, and thanks for not adding a sissy bar."

"As long as I don't end up pavement surfing again."

*****

Guilt: _an affective state in which one experiences conflict at having done something that one believes one should not have done or conversely, having not done something one believes one should have done. _

John Sheppard was feeling…guilty. He'd promised Rodney he could ride passenger the first time he took the bike out but he couldn't help it. After the party ended he was moving it to a storage area off the Jumper bay and gave in to an impulse to take it out right then and there. He knew if he didn't he wouldn't sleep a wink so…

He banked the Jumper around to check out the area he'd chosen. It was full daylight in the city that had been abandoned a few hundred years earlier though the buildings and paved streets still endured. He landed in what had once been the town square, opened the hatch and pushed the Pegasus Prowler out onto the street. He zipped up the jacket, slipped the helmet over his head, adjusted the chinstrap then pulled on the gloves and tightened the Velcro closures.

He straddled the bike, grasped the handle bars and flicked on the engine. Oh, _yeah!_ Rodney had really outdone himself this time. The bike had been programmed to simulate the sounds and vibrations of a conventional engine. It throbbed and pulsed under him like the vintage Harley he still had in storage back on Earth but without the toxic fumes associated with petroleum-based fuels.

He stood solidly on the ground, shifted into second gear, his thighs and knees firmly holding the bike, then pulled the front brake and clutch all the way in. Using his right thumb, he turned the throttle up to just over 7000 RPMs (again, simulated) and slowly released the clutch while keeping the front brake pulled tight. He could feel the back tire start to spin and kept a tight grip on the front brake. He kept accelerating making lots of smoke. If anyone had still lived in the city he'd have been turning quite a few heads.

He pulled the clutch back in and released the throttle, dropping it into neutral. Well, it didn't really have gears; they were simulated, too, but it felt the same. He shifted into first, released the clutch while applying gas and the Prowler eased forward. Even with the faceplate down he could feel the breeze on his face. It fueled his adrenaline and before long he was hitting the double. He popped a wheelie then let loose with a spontaneous expression of ecstasy and delight that echoed from the empty buildings startling birds and other wildlife that had moved into the city.

"WaaaaahOOOOOOOO!"

Classic Bomber Soft Touch Leather Jacket: $$$

Leather Harness Boots: $$$

Five Pocket Loose-Fit Leather Jeans: $$$

Friends who love you: Priceless

**The End**


	3. No Longer Afraid

**Spoilers: **End of season three, episode "First Strike."

**The Friendship Files**

**Chapter 3**

**No Longer Afraid**

"_I feel very comfortable with _my_ life in _your_ hands and at the end of the day that means you're doing a pretty good job."_

Jennifer watched Elizabeth Weir climb the stairs until she could no longer hear her footsteps while the commander's words echoed inside her head. The urge to stick a finger in her mouth and chew on the nail was almost more than she could endure.

She entered the transport that would return her to the Infirmary level, hesitated then tapped the screen in a different spot. Instead of the Infirmary she found herself near one of the piers. When the door opened she stepped out into the warm late afternoon sunshine. No one else was there so she had it all to herself which might have been a good thing if she didn't feel so… apprehensive about her new duties. And the water, always the water. One of these days she'd have to learn to swim.

She took her shoes and socks off then rolled up her pants legs. Sitting down, she scooted to the edge and carefully eased her legs off the side letting them dangle. _This isn't so bad. In fact, it's kinda nice with nothing between the soles of my feet and the surface of the water._ Her worry lifted just a little.

There was just enough of a breeze to create small waves and lift the hair off her face. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath of the tangy salt air. She let her mind wander from place to place, here to there, in, out, up, down, round and round without rhyme or reason. And just as it always did, her mind zeroed in on Rodney McKay. Carson had warned her about him, but beneath his words she could sense a genuine affection for the cantankerous physicist.

She didn't know McKay well, had only met him a few times, but she sensed that under the façade of arrogance and condescension beat the heart of a truly kind and caring man. All he needed was the right set of circumstances to bring it out.

The first time she'd met him he'd come to the Infirmary with some minor injury that he'd blown way out of proportion. Despite that, or maybe because of it, he'd thoroughly charmed her though he had complained and grumbled the entire time he was there, even going so far as to compare medicine to voodoo. She took no offense at the slur on her chosen profession and had decided to ask if she could buy him a beer sometime but then she'd found out that he was involved in a relationship with Dr. Brown from Botany.

One of the things that puzzled her about his and Katie's association was the lack of public displays of affection. Not once had she seen the two of them even so much as hold hands. They could have been brother and sister for all she could tell just by simple observation. It had been the same with her and Jared Maitland who, ironically, was also a botanist. She'd finally come to realize that he wasn't The One, her soul mate. (See A/N.)

Leaning forward, she watched the water slap and splash against the pier supports. Nothing floated in the water that didn't belong there unlike at home where all kinds of disgusting things would be pushed up against the pylons making the water stink like a landfill.

"Nice afternoon, isn't it?"

"Huh? Oh!" She started to slide off the edge of the pier but a pair of strong arms caught her just in time. "Whoa! Thanks."

"No problem. All part of the service." The voice was familiar though she hadn't spent much time talking to this particular person. It wasn't that she had any reason to avoid him. Their schedules and duties just didn't require them to interact very often. Thumps and the rustle of clothing told her he was removing his jacket, shoes and socks, too. He sat down next to her and she looked over to see Chuck's concerned face. "Why are you out here all alone, Dr. Keller?" She'd told him to call her Jennifer on several occasions but he seemed to prefer the more formal mode of address, maybe to keep some distance between them due to the differences in their standings within the Atlantis community.

She sighed. "I just had to get away from, well, everything for a while."

"Oh? Why?"

"It-It's all finally starting to sink in. I'm three _million_ light years from home, my friend and mentor is dead and, at the not-so-advanced age of 25, I find myself in charge of an _entire_ medical department. In that regard I am _way_ ahead of schedule."

Chuck reached behind him and passed her a bottle of water which she gratefully accepted then opened one for himself. "Butterflies, huh?"

"Yeah. Butterflies the size of Volkswagens."

"Well, nerves and butterflies are fine. They're just a physical sign that you're mentally ready and eager." He pumped a fist in the air. "The hard part is getting the butterflies to fly in formation." His hands mimed his words surprising a laugh out of her. "And I can totally relate. When we first came to Atlantis I was just a junior technician. My area of expertise is computers. But I was nowhere near high enough up the expedition food chain to be a department head. The person I replaced had degrees out the, um, well, like Dr. McKay, he had several. Mechanical and electrical engineering were his specialties."

"Peter Grodin. I've heard stories about him, how he's considered a hero for what he did on the Ancient's weapons platform, taking out that Wraith hiveship." As the acting CMO she had access to files that were unavailable to the general population and knew the real story of what happened on that weapons platform as well as the events that took place a year later. (See A/N.)

Chuck nodded. "His were some mighty big shoes to fill. He was very well-liked by everyone, including Dr. McKay. When I first stepped into the position it was out of necessity. We needed someone to do his job and I knew more about the systems than anyone else in Ops, aside from Dr. Grodin. In other words, I was in the right place at the right time to get a promotion.

"Don't get me wrong. I l_ove_ being here in Atlantis and working for Dr. Weir but some days I just need to take a few minutes to sit and watch the water. It helps clear my mind."

She crossed her ankles swinging her feet. "I can see why. I feel more at ease now than I have since Carson…" Leaning back on her hands and closing her eyes, she let the breeze blow gently across her face. "Dr. McKay still blames himself for Dr. Grodin's death. He's certain it was his own lack of experience with the technology that caused the malfunction. I've tried to tell him otherwise but…" Her shoulders lifted in a small shrug.

They sat there in silence for a few more minutes then Chuck scooted back reaching for his shoes and socks. "Well, enough self-indulgence. Time for me to get back to work." Jennifer had already pulled her own socks and shoes back on. Chuck reached a hand down to help her up.

"This is Dr. Weir. All personnel to duty stations! This is not a drill!"

Chuck and Jennifer ran the length of the pier and entered the tower. They parted company, he toward the Gate Room and she to the transport that would take her to the Infirmary level.

"Chuck!" He turned to face her again. "Thanks!"

"Any time, Doc."

* * * * *

Jennifer looked around at the chaos that had once been the Gate Room. She hadn't seen this many casualties since her rotation in the ER when there'd been an accident involving a city bus and an eighteen wheeler. It had been rush hour and the bus was full. Three people had died and more than twenty had been seriously injured including both drivers. She'd been too busy to allow panic to creep in that day but now she could feel its icy fingers trying to take hold of her mind. She took a deep breath and thought about the feel of the breeze on her face, the sound of the water and how serene she'd been for that short span of time. Then, just like that, it all went away, the fear and panic receded as if it had never been leaving her mind as clear as a cloudless moonless night.

She looked up from where she was attending to Elizabeth when Colonel Sheppard entered demanding answers she didn't have then hurried from the room alongside the gurney that carried their commander and friend. Looking over her shoulder past Sheppard's head her eyes locked with Chuck's for a split second. He smiled confidently at her flashing her a quick thumbs up. She returned the gesture just before disappearing down the ramp.

* * * * *

While prepping for surgery she fired orders left and right trusting that they would be carried out without question. And because her staff knew that she was the best person for the job of CMO, they complied.

Just as she pressed her back against the OR door, her newly scrubbed hands raised to let the water drip toward her elbows she caught the tail end of a rumor that Atlantis had dropped out of hyperspace too soon and they were lost but ignored it. Right now, her only concern was Elizabeth and the other injured crew members. Nothing else mattered.

* * * * *

Jennifer made a point of spending time out on the pier whenever she could. As she did that first time she would take off her shoes and socks, roll up her pants legs and dangle her feet. She did it because she enjoyed it, because it felt good to get away from everything just for a few minutes. Sometimes Chuck would be there but mostly she would be alone. She would smile to herself because it felt good to no longer be afraid.

**The End**

**A/N:** This references the story "Looking to the Future" by toosweet4u_57, a part of her Jennifer and Rodney series and is used with permission. It also references chapters 7 - 11 of the story "The Return of Katie Brown." Yes, this is a shameless plug by the author.


	4. The Raveled Sleeve of Care

Sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care,  
The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath,  
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,  
Chief nourisher in life's feast.

~ William Shakespeare, _Macbeth, Act II, Scene II_

**The Friendship Files**

**Chapter 4**

**The Raveled Sleeve of Care**

The men crept silently through the woods. Sheppard's team with Lorne and his team were doing a recon of planet M97-GK6 as a possible Beta site. Unfortunately, not long after they arrived Teyla felt the presence of Wraith and they were now in a battle for their lives.

The whine of Darts overhead had them all ducking and hiding wherever they could. Occasionally, culling beams flashed across the landscape but, thankfully, went away empty.

A commotion to his left drew Lorne to where one of his men, Lieutenant Jason Nash, was fighting hand-to-hand with a Wraith. The young Marine seemed to be holding his own until the Wraith managed to slip under his defenses and got him by the throat. Nash's hands came up to pry the fingers away but the creature was very strong. Lorne ran in his direction letting loose with a barrage of gunfire that caught the Wraith in the back. He twitched in a macabre dance then fell forward toppling himself and the unfortunate Lieutenant over the edge of the cliff onto the rocks below killing both instantly.

Just for a second, in Lorne's mind, the face of the Lieutenant was replaced with the grinning face of a ten year old boy. He shook his head to clear away the errant image and ran to the cliff edge. He looked down at the grotesquely twisted bodies. Nash had been impaled on the Wraith's stun rifle. Uncharacteristically, Lorne uttered an obscenity aloud.

*****

Teyla entered a transport, tapped the screen and exited on the barracks level. She was startled by Evan Lorne blocking the exit and staring straight ahead. "Major Lorne, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, sis. Just taking the dog for a walk then I'm going over to Brian's to play ball." Lorne was in pajama pants, t-shirt and bare feet. The door shut and he was gone. Teyla shook her head and continued on to her room.

It happened again the next night but this time Lorne ran into Rodney. "Hey, Dad. My homework's done. Brian and me are gonna play some hoops. Mom said I could have dinner at his house tonight. I'll be home before dark." He appeared to be tossing a ball in the air and catching it.

Rodney stared at him. "A word of advice, Major. If you're going to play jokes on people you'll have to do _much_ better than that. This isn't even close to being funny."

Lorne appeared not to hear, shouted "See ya!" then turned and ran down the hall dribbling his invisible basketball.

Rodney shrugged off the incident and resumed walking.

*****

Jennifer turned when she heard soft footsteps enter the Infirmary. It was after midnight when most of the expedition was asleep.

"Sorry to disturb you, Doc."

"You aren't, Major. What can I do for you?"

He looked down at the floor shifting his feet nervously. He was again in pajama pants and a t-shirt, his bare feet making little sound on the floor of the Infirmary. "I'm having trouble getting to sleep and when I do go to sleep I wake up feeling more tired than when I went to bed. I wouldn't have bothered you but this is the third night in a row."

Jennifer was already unlocking the drug cabinet. She handed him a bubble pack with a single small capsule.

"Here you go. If it continues, I'll do a full medical workup to see if there's an organic reason for your insomnia."

"What if everything's fine?"

"Then you might want to think about seeing the staff psychologist."

"Okay. Thanks, Doc." She gave him a gentle smile and returned to her work.

*****

The next evening Jennifer ran into the Major as she was leaving the Mess Hall. He was alert and well rested. "Thanks for your help, Doc. I slept like a rock last night."

"You're welcome. Let me know how things go tonight."

"Will do." He joined Sheppard, Rodney and Ronon on the patio.

"I'm glad you're here, Major. I was just telling Sheppard and Conan about your little practical joke misfire."

He shook out his napkin and placed it in his lap. "I'm sorry. What are you talking about?"

Rodney's forehead creased. "The night before last. You came up to me in the hall, called me 'dad' then told me you were having supper with someone named Brian."

His eyes lost focus and his voice some of its assurance. "Sorry, Doc. You must be mistaken. I don't know anyone named Brian." Pushing back from the table, he stood and dropped the napkin on his untouched tray.

"But-"

"Excuse me. I have to go." He left without eating and without disposing of his food tray.

*****

Lorne, his appetite gone, went to his quarters, showered and changed into his pajamas. He opened the bottom drawer of his dresser and removed a framed photo. It was of two grinning ten year old boys with their arms around each other, the one on the left had a basketball tucked under one arm. They were in the driveway of a two story home.

This was how he wanted to remember Brian Summers, not the way he'd looked the last time he'd seen him. Unfortunately, both memories vied for his attention sometimes superimposing one over the other. He tried and failed to push away the horrible image of his childhood friend dead, impaled on the sharp tines of the rake he'd fallen on.

He used to love to play basketball but hadn't played since…well, since he was ten. It reminded him of Brian and he sometimes had nightmares about the last time he saw his friend. His dad had found him in the driveway on several occasions playing ball with an imaginary opponent.

He sat the photo on his dresser and lay down praying for dreamless sleep.

*****

It was after midnight and Rodney was on his way to his quarters when Lorne came around the corner again dribbling an imaginary basketball.

"C'mon, Dad. Let's play some ball. I'll spot you the usual." He wheedled hopefully.

"Excuse me?"

Lorne was now holding the ball in front of him with both hands. "Don't tell me, you have to work late again." He walked away his head hanging down in disappointment.

In one of those rare moments of insight that had nothing to do with himself and everything to do with others Rodney realized that Lorne was sleepwalking yet again. Since he knew next to nothing about somnambulism and remembering what had happened the last time, he tapped his headset and contacted Jennifer. She told him to keep an eye on him but not to wake him, at least not yet.

"Lorne…uh, Evan, work can wait. Let's play a little, um, one-on-one."

"Great, Dad! I'll race ya!" Lorne took off down the hall with Rodney following at a shambling run. He caught up with him in the gym shooting baskets with his imaginary ball.

*****

Jennifer arrived at the court a few minutes later. She watched with deep inner humor while the man she loved played ball with the sleepwalking Major as if he were a child. Right now they were "fighting" over the "ball." Lorne was holding it in front of him turning side to side while Rodney tried to reach around from behind and take it from him. They were laughing and shouting and having a great time.

Suddenly, Lorne feinted left then right and tossed the ball giving a shout of triumph when it went into the basket. "Whoa! Score! Nothing but net!" He pumped a fist in the air. "And the crowd goes wild! Yah!"

"Good job, son!" Rodney was out of breath hands on his knees. "Wh-what's the score now?"

"That's 21 for me and 15 for you. Let's go again."

"Sure. Just let me catch my breath."

"Cool! Same as last time, I spot you 15, we play to 21."

"Hi, guys! How's the game going?" She'd brought bottles of water for the men and handed one to each of them.

"Mom! Wanna play? We can do some one-on-one-on-one. Pleeeese?"

Jennifer looked nervous. "No thanks, Evan. I, uh, haven't played since high school."

"Oh, come on…Mom. You aren't chicken are you?" Rodney challenged.

"Chicken, huh?" She took the ball from Lorne and ran around the two men headed for the basket. Lorne snuck up on her left and took it back making her squeal in protest. She and Rodney chased him catching him just as he was lining up his shot. The three began tussling for the ball. Rodney got it and, while Jennifer held onto the struggling Lorne, tossed in into the basket. He jumped around waving his arms and grinning. "I did it! I finally got it in!"

Jennifer released the Major and he and Rodney shared a high five. "Way to go, Dad!"

"Yeah, that was a great shot…Dad."

Lorne scrunched his face up in pretend horror. "Oh, geez. You're gonna kiss, aren't you?" He covered his eyes with a hand. "Lemme know when you're done."

Rodney and Jennifer made loud kissing noises then Jennifer turned abruptly and snatched the ball from Lorne, dribbling it around the two men then lined up for a basket. Rodney and Lorne got in front of her waving their arms to block the shot. Rodney grabbed her around the waist lifting her in the air. "Get the ball, son! Get the ball!

"Hey, that's two against one. I thought this was every man, woman and child for themselves." Rodney was now trying to take the ball from Lorne again. He was in front of the Major eyes watching his every move. Lorne feinted again then made a quick spin to the right headed for the basket. Rodney caught him around the waist, spun him around and the two of them went down in a heap.

Jennifer was laughing so hard she could barely stand but still extended a hand to help Rodney to his feet. He moved over to the bench and sat down. "I think that's enough for today, Evan. I'm worn out." His clothes were sweat soaked and he was breathing hard from his exertions.

Lorne came to sit beside him bouncing the ball between his knees. His face now showed sadness. "You know, Dad, I really miss Brian. Do you think he's up there somewhere looking at us and blaming me for what happened?"

Rodney and Jennifer shared a look. Lorne didn't talk much about his personal life. All they knew was he had a sister who was married with two kids, his mother was still alive and his father had passed away but that was all. She shrugged not knowing how to answer.

"Why would he blame you?" Rodney finally said.

"It was _my_ fault. I threw the ball and it went on the roof. If I hadn't missed the basket he wouldn't have climbed on the roof and fallen. He'd still be, you know, here."

Rodney hesitantly put his arm around Lorne's shoulders. "It was an accident, son. I'm sure he doesn't blame you."

"Really?" His eyes were hopeful.

"Really. You were his…best friend. He knows you didn't do it on purpose."

Lorne nodded accepting Rodney's rationalization.

"Evan, honey, it's time you went to bed." Jennifer took him by the hand and he willingly followed her. Rodney trailed in their wake while she led him back to his room and put him to bed.

"Thanks for the game, guys. It was fun. Can we do it again sometime?"

"Of course, sweetie." She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "Good night."

"'Night, Mom. "Night, Dad." He murmured sleepily.

"It's a good thing we didn't run into anyone else." Jennifer observed when they were again in the hall. "He and _we_ will be saved the embarrassment of him thinking we were his parents."

"Well, at least he didn't think we were Replicators like the last time with John and Sam." He pulled her close.

*****

Rodney and Jennifer walked hand in hand. His shirt stuck to his chest and he pulled it away flapping it to move the air around. "Oh, man, do _I_ need a shower. I haven't done anything like that in, well, ever."

She put her head briefly on his shoulder. "It was for a good cause. Tomorrow I'll have a talk with him and advise him to see the staff psychologist. It isn't difficult to figure out that he still feels guilty about the death of his friend. If I had to guess, I would say that the manner in which Lieutenant Nash died was similar to the way Brian died and seeing it brought those feelings to the surface again."

"I just don't get how he could think we were his parents."

"He just latched onto us because we were there, I suppose." She rubbed his arm in comfort. "I'm going to say something now and I don't want you to take the wrong way."

He sighed. "Okay. Hit me with your best shot."

"I think you'd make a wonderful father."

"Really? You think so? Because I've never been that good with kids. They…scare me."

A small sharp laugh popped out. "Rodney, you are _great_ with children. You don't talk down to them the way most adults do and they respond favorably to that." They reached his quarters and she invited herself in. She pulled his shirt over his head while she pushed him backward toward the bathroom.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, you need a shower and I'm helping you get undressed."

He smiled and reached for the hem of her shirt. "Hmm. I think you need a shower, too, Dr. Keller." Her top joined his shirt on the floor closely followed by the rest of their clothing. The shower came on a few seconds later.

*****

"You wanted to see me, Dr. Keller?" She looked up to see Major Lorne framed in the doorway of her office.

"Yes. Please have a seat."

"What's this all about? My team and I have training drills scheduled in about 30 minutes."

"I wanted to talk to you about last night, Evan, and about…Brian."

"Brian? I haven't thought about Brian Summers in years." He couldn't stop the flash of guilt from moving across his features.

"Well, you did last night." Jennifer stood up and came around the desk to sit next to him. "You were sleepwalking again." She recounted the events that happened the previous night of which he naturally had no memory.

*****

Rodney had just sat down to eat when Lorne appeared in front of him, food tray in hand. He gestured to the vacant seat across from the physicist. "May I?"

"Of course, Major." Rodney cracked open his bottle of water and took a drink.

Lorne removed the cover from his plate stalling for time. _This isn't going to get any easier so…_ "Dr. Keller told me what happened last night. I want to thank you for everything you and she did."

"Oh, well, you're welcome. You would have done the same for a, uh, friend."

"True."

"Now me, I've never been a sleepwalker. I'm more of a talk in my sleep kind of person. Got me in lots of trouble when I'd fall asleep in the movies on a date."

Lorne laughed. In his mind's eye he could see the teenage Rodney getting slapped by an angry teenage female. "So, uh, Rodney, we played basketball?" He used his fork to gesture between the two of them.

"Yes, though _played _is kind of a strong word. You see, Evan, there wasn't actually a ball."

"Oh? The Doc didn't tell me _that_. What happened?"

The two men spent the rest of the meal and long after talking about Lorne's sleepwalking episode sharing laughs...and friendship.

**The End**


	5. Nothing is Harder to Accept Than This

**Spoiler: **For the episode "Sunday."

**The Friendship Files**

**Chapter 5**

**Nothing is Harder to Accept Than This**

Nothing is harder to accept than the death of a loved one be it a family member or a friend who is closer than family. When a day of rest turns into a day of mourning it's even harder to accept. In these times, it is comforting to have someone to lean on...even if it's just for a moment.

*****

Ronon hesitated outside Carson's quarters. He knew that Rodney was inside packing his friend's personal belongings and wanted to make sure he was if not okay at least getting by. And if not getting by then maybe he could help somehow. He didn't know _how_ he could help but knew he had to try.

He glanced at the crates that Rodney was filling with possessions that had no one to claim them: a bible, a tattered hat covered in fish hooks, a favorite novel, a cherished photo of a friend. "Hey."

"Hey."

"You okay?" He could see that the physicist wanted to say yes, he'd even begun to nod.

"Uh, not really."

"Need some help?"

"No. I'm almost done. He didn't have a lot of stuff here."

"You sending it all back to his family?" He knew the answer but felt he should keep Rodney talking.

"Yeah. I-I mean we will. They don't know yet. We're going to send, uh, the body to Earth and, uh, I'm gonna tell his mother." Rodney stopped talking for a moment as if the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat threatening to choke him. The thing that worried Ronon the most was the lack of confidence and buoyancy in his friend's voice. It was like he'd been drained of all rational thought and nothing was left but the pain. "I should have just gone fishing with him."

"Don't."

"No, if I'd gone fishing, if I'd checked the machine, if I hadn't assigned two junior guys to catalogue the lab…"

He could hear the hysteria rising in Rodney's voice, see the unshed tears in his eyes. "Rodney, what's done is done."

"I know and, uh, that's what's killing me."

Ronon nodded even though Rodney had already gone back to the packing. He exited the room and headed for his quarters to change. He'd been asked to be a pallbearer and wanted, _needed_ to honor Carson Beckett.

Before the door slid shut he heard a small sound. It could have been anything, a clearing of the throat, the opening of a drawer or even the squeak of a shoe. But instinct told him it was none of these things. He turned around and entered Carson's room again. The door hissed closed behind him but Rodney didn't seem to know he was there. His shoulders were hunched and shaking, one hand over his eyes. On the floor Ronon saw drops of moisture. After only the slightest hesitation he took Rodney in his arms. The physicist put his head on Ronon's chest and cried like a baby. And Ronon just held him, held him until the sobbing stopped and he pushed away. "I-I-I…uh…"

He watched Rodney go into the bathroom. The door closed and water started running. Not wanting to embarrass him further Ronon left the room, waited for the door to close then stood guard. Knowing that this was where McKay would be, more than a few people stopped to give their condolences but all were unceremoniously turned away.

A few minutes later the door opened again and Rodney was once again cool, calm and collected. Well, calm anyway.

"Ronon, I, uh…" He kept his eyes averted, his cheeks tinged with pink. "I'm sorry, you know, about before. It just…" He gestured helplessly.

Ronon crossed his arms and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his annoyed posture. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I came to see if you needed help, we talked and I left. End of story."

Rodney's face brightened just a little. It seemed that no one would know about his little breakdown but the two of them. "Thanks for, uh, just…thanks."

The Satedan nodded acceptance of his friend's gratitude. "It's time." He took Rodney's jacket from his unresisting fingers, helped him into it then together they headed for the Gate Room to say good-bye to Dr. Carson Beckett.

**The End**


	6. What Life Is All About

**A/N: **This story is running in conjunction with the story "When You Say Nothing At All" by toosweet4u_57 as part of the Jennifer and Rodney series. Enjoy, Sandy

**The Friendship Files**

**Chapter 6**

**What Life Is All About**

Winter in Atlantis was no different than winter on Earth. The wind cut through clothing and outerwear like they were nothing, drilling straight through to the bone turning fingers and toes to icicles. Tomorrow was forecasted to be much warmer but today it was _cold._ It may have been an optical illusion but even the sky looked cold.

Jennifer stood gazing out over the water trying to calm her mind. Rodney had been infected with the Second Childhood parasite and it was quickly taking his incredible mind and would eventually claim his life. She'd done everything she thought of and more to stop its growth and reverse the effects but nothing had helped. Ronon had put forward and idea that she had summarily discarded because it sounded too much like magic. Jeannie was due to arrive shortly and she had the feeling that the decision of whether or not to move forward with Ronon's suggestion would be taken out of her hands.

She and Rodney had been making video logs to record the progress of his decline and yesterday he'd told her he loved her. She loved him, too, but couldn't tell him. it would be too cruel. He barely remembered her and his other friends. When she'd entered the isolation room this afternoon he'd looked at her as if she were someone he couldn't quite recall if he'd ever met. It made her want to cry but she forced herself to hold back the tears. Seeing her cry would only upset him more.

Jennifer pulled her jacket closer hoping to block out the wind but it didn't help much. The wind was very strong, pushing at her as if it was trying blow away her fears, sweep her mind and soul clean. It whistled around the towers and spires of the city making it seem as if Atlantis itself was weeping for Rodney McKay.

She'd turned to make her way back inside when a very strong gust of wind knocked her into the water with an undignified splash. She flailed around panicking in the icy liquid. Her hands and feet became numb almost immediately. Water went in her mouth and up her nose choking her. Just before darkness closed in she felt strong arms bringing her to the surface where she gulped air and clutched frantically at her savior.

"Calm down or we'll both drown!" The voice was male, familiar and composed but she couldn't quite place it. All she knew was she trusted the owner and did as he ordered letting her body go limp. He hooked his arms under hers from behind. "That's good. You're going to be fine." The voice whispering in her ear was soothing, reassuring her as he swam toward the ladder. He grabbed one of the rungs then turned her so she could hold on. "Climb up. I'm right behind you, Jennifer. You can do it. I won't let you fall."

He helped her onto the pier then climbed up after her. He could see she was badly frightened so he pulled her into his arms and she clutched him while she shivered and coughed. Warm hands rested on her upper back rubbing small circles that calmed and comforted her. It reminded her of when her mother would take care of her when she was sick or frightened. "We'll sit here for a few minutes then I'll take you to your quarters so you can change into dry clothes. After that we'll go to the Infirmary and get you checked out."

"I-I-I'm fine."

The terror finally receded and Jennifer leaned back to look into the face of her rescuer. Richard Woolsey smiled back. "I'm sure you are but, as a doctor, you know the dangers that a near drowning pose to the victim." Where their bodies touched they felt warmth but the rest of them was still freezing. "You really should learn how to swim, Dr. Keller."

"I _do_ know how to swim, just well enough to pass the physical the SGC insists on giving its prospective expedition members. There just hasn't been much time to practice since I arrived and the water is _very_ cold. You'd think growing up in Wisconsin would make me a little more tolerant." She smiled at him. He'd taken off his jacket before jumping in after her and tucked it around her shoulders now. It didn't help much but it was better than nothing.

"Come on. Let's get back inside before we both freeze to death." He helped her to stand then kept an arm around her shoulders until they reached her quarters. "Take a hot shower and change your clothes. I'll wait for you then escort you to the Infirmary."

"There's no need, Mr. Woolsey. I-"

"I insist. Even though you didn't lose consciousness you could still develop symptoms from the aspiration of water …"

"…like hypoxemia, hypothermia-though the hot shower should take care of that, CNS injury, cerebral edema, and so forth." She laid a hand on his arm. "What I mean, Richard, is you should go to your own quarters, take a hot shower and change as well. I promise I will wait right here for you if it will put your mind at rest."

"It will indeed, Jennifer."

"Then I'll see you in a few minutes."

*****

Thirty minutes later Woolsey was again in front of Jennifer's quarters ringing the chime. It opened almost immediately to show the CMO in flannel sleep pants, a long-sleeved t-shirt, a hooded sweatshirt, socks and fuzzy slippers, all in shades of pink. He was dressed similarly but in dark blue, green and black with black moccasin type slippers.

They looked at each other and laughed. "We look like we're on our way to a slumber party."

"True. All we need is pizza, hot chocolate with lots of mini marshmallows and a couple of scary movies." Woolsey presented his right elbow and she hooked her hand through it as they entered a transport.

"You know, that gives me an idea. Tell me what you think of this…" By the time they arrived in the Infirmary she'd laid out a plan and, with just a little prodding, he'd agreed. In a few weeks they would co-host the first annual Atlantis Slumber Party. Hopefully, by then Rodney would be his old self again.

After being checked over by the on-call physician and pronounced fit, Woolsey walked Jennifer back to her quarters. Once again she had her hand nestled in the crook of his elbow. "Thank you for everything, Richard."

"You are very welcome, Jennifer." He made a small bow. "You know, I never had any children but now and then, I feel the need to…I suppose 'mother' is as good a word as any. Everyone needs to be needed at one time or another and occasionally we need to be taken care of, to feel a closeness with another human being, to allow another person be in charge, even if it's just for a few moments."

"Well, I appreciate you taking such good care of me." They stopped in front of her door.

He waved away her gratitude with a smile then adopted a mock stern expression and shook his finger. "Now you do as the doctor said and get some rest, young lady."

"Yes, 'dad.'" The door closed on her laughter.

Woolsey's gaze turned inward for a few moments. He'd always wanted children but it just never happened. It really was too bad because he quite liked the sound of being called "dad", even in jest. A sigh eased out of him as he turned and made his way back to his quarters.

**The End**


	7. Not So Random Acts of Friendship

**A/N: **Pre-ship McKeller.

**The Friendship Files**

**Chapter Seven**

**Not So Random Acts of Friendship**

**Atlantis - 2300**

Jennifer tossed and turned in her bed unable to get comfortable. Though the ambient temperature in her room was a constant 72 degrees she still felt hot and claustrophobic. She needed to feel the night breeze on her face and body. Taking her pillow and blanket she made her way to one of the lesser used balconies on a very high floor, careful to stay away from the edge.

Folding the blanket in half lengthwise then in half again creating a makeshift bedroll, she spread it out, plopped the pillow at the top and sat down leaning back on her hands with her knees up. Turning her face up into the breeze she closed her eyes and inhaled the cool clean air.

A sound startled her and she turned to see Teyla standing there with a blanket and pillow. "I do not mean to intrude, Jennifer. May I join you?"

"Please do. What are you doing out here?"

"Kanaan and Torren are offworld and I have been restless listening for my child's cries."

"I understand. Well, pull up a piece of floor and make yourself comfortable."

Teyla folded her blanket in the same fashion Jennifer had spreading it out a couple of feet from her friend. Closing her eyes, she, too, let the cool breeze brush across her face. She began to relax, letting out a sigh of pleasure.

"If we were on Earth we would be exchanging confidences, painting each other's toenails, doing each other's hair, talking about 'boys' and giggling like school girls, though I didn't actually do any of that in high school."

"Why is that? Were you shy?"

Jennifer laughed. "Yeah, kind of. I was much younger than my classmates and was teased because I was…studious."

"Ah. I have heard the term 'geek' and 'nerd' applied to such persons."

"That's about the size of it. I grew up smart in a small town where being smart was looked upon as a mental disorder."

"Like Rodney."

The doctor blushed and looked down at her hands linked together in her lap. "Yeah, like Rodney." When she looked up again the Athosian was watching her with amusement. "What?"

"Every time Rodney is mentioned you blush. Perhaps you would care to…exchange confidences. "

"Uh…"

"Hey, what are you two doing out here?" Amelia Banks was standing in a small circle of light holding a pillow and a sleeping bag.

"The same as you, I'm guessing." Jennifer waved a hand in invitation. The women were talking and laughing when they heard voices coming down the hall. A few seconds later nurse Marie Cho and Dr. Amanda Cole entered.

Amanda looked around. "Great minds think alike?"

"Apparently." Amelia responded with a smile.

The new additions joined the group and soon they were all laughing and having a great time. They played a few silly games then Amelia brought them all into a huddle and made a motion. It was enthusiastically seconded and she called for a vote. "All in favor signify by saying 'aye'."

There was a chorus of "ayes" with no dissenters.

"The motion is hereby carried. Let's go!"

*****

The five women crept silently through the halls of Atlantis. When they came upon sentries they hid until they passed, mostly because it wouldn't have looked good for the head of medical, one of her doctors, her senior nurse, a senior 'gate technician and a member of SGA-1 to be running barefoot through the halls in their pj's, no matter how modest.

At one point a guard they were trying to avoid, for some unknown reason, decided to just walk back and forth in front of the staircase they needed to use. Amelia said, "I'll take care of this." She rolled the waistband of her pajama shorts bringing them higher, exposing her navel and nearly all of her tanned and toned thighs. Then she reached inside her camisole and brought both breasts front and center maximizing her already considerable cleavage then pulled the elastic from her long hair and shook it out. Barefoot, dressed in pj's and her hair now a loose fluffy dark blonde cloud around her head and shoulders, she hardly looked like the calm, cool professional woman who worked in the city's nerve center.

She pulled her shoulders down and back further emphasizing her…assets and sauntered lazily past the guy, a young Marine who had been stuck on the night shift for way too long. His eyes followed her as she added a little extra oomph to her walk drawing his attention to her firm backside. He called out to her asking what her business was in the area.

"Oh, no business. I was a bit restless so I'm just taking a walk before..." she looked down at his feet and slowly brought her eyes up his body, purposely lingering on the area below his belt before making the final trek up to his face, "…bed. What's your name, soldier?"

"Rogers, Ma'am. Sergeant Lawrence Rogers, United States Marine Corp. _Semper Fi!_" he tipped an imaginary hat.

"Do you always work the graveyard shift…Lawrence?" She drew his name out, rolling the "r" making it sound like a promise.

"Uh, y-y-yes, Ma'am."

Her eyes dropped down just for a second then came back to his. "Pity." She walked around him and he followed until his back was to the stairs and her friends hiding in the shadows. One by one they tiptoed silently down into the inky depths. "Well, _Lawrence_, I should be on my way. Maybe we'll run into each other the next time I have trouble sleeping." She headed down the stairs but stopped on the third step, turned and waved to the besotted Sergeant Rogers. "Bye."

Amelia caught up with the others as they waited for her in front of a transport. She bowed as they gave her a quick round of applause. "I'm glad you're on _our_ side and using that power for good instead of evil." Amanda said with a touch of awe.

When they reached their destination, the bar, they hesitated just a moment before entering. Trying to be casual, they headed straight for the bar. The others didn't see Amanda turn and leave.

The room was dim and there were only a few patrons. A couple was on the dance floor slow dancing to a George Strait song, a group of Marines were in the corner playing pool, and Radek Zelenka was playing darts with the female German scientist whose name Jennifer couldn't remember at the moment. In one dark corner was a male and female whom she recognized but didn't know their names. They were, well, making out was the only term she could come up with for what they were doing and not very discretely at that.

"Hello, ladies. What can I get for you tonight?" Eddie the bartender asked them as he polished glasses. If he thought it odd that they were in the bar in sleep attire he didn't show it. In Jennifer's estimation that was the mark of a good bartender.

"Uh, we need…" She chewed her lip as if in thought then decided what the hell, she might as well go for it. Her shift didn't start until after supper and if an emergency came up, well, there were plenty of other doctors on staff that were more than capable of handling the situation. "…a case of beer in bottles, a big bag of pretzels, two bags of pork rinds-one regular, one spicy, a bottle of Jose Cuervo Gold, some limes, cut up, of course, and five shot glasses. Put it all on my tab." Marie whispered in her ear. "Oh, and the biggest bag of milk chocolate M&M's you have…or two smaller bags."

"_Excuse_ me?" Eddie's eyes were wide in shock.

"Shall we repeat the order?" Teyla asked.

"Uh, no, Ma'am. I got it." He reached into the cooler and produced the requested liquid refreshments then went to the storage room for the other items piling it all on the counter. "So, you gonna drink and eat that here or take it with you?"

As they gathered up their purchases, Amelia gave the man a withering look. "Do _all_ bartenders think they're also comedians?"

He smiled and shrugged helplessly. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Well, don't give up your night job."

*****

When they returned to the hall and headed for the transport they noticed that Amanda was gone.

"Where'd she go?"

"Not a clue." Marie told them as they returned to their makeshift bedroom.

A few minutes later Amanda rejoined them carrying a duffle bag. The sound of bottles rattling could be heard when she sat it on the floor. "Hey, does anyone know how to turn the lights up on just this balcony?"

"I can help you with that, ladies." All five women whipped around at the sound of a male voice. It was Rodney McKay.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Jennifer asked as the others crowded around her guiltily.

"I could ask you the same thing. I saw all of you leaving the bar with enough beer and snacks to, well, do exactly what you're doing. I assume you're having a…slumber party."

"Yeah. It was sort of an impromptu thing." The women exchanged sheepish glances. "Are you gonna tell on us?"

"No, of course not…as long as you let me stay. For a while anyway." They stared at him so long he started to fidget. As one they turned and went into a huddle speaking in intense whispers for a few moments then turned and faced him again.

Jennifer, the unofficial spokesperson for the group, said, "Okay, but only under _one_ condition."

"And that is…?" When she told him the condition he debated with himself for about a nanosecond before agreeing to their request. After all, how often do guys get invited to an all-girl slumber party? _Never_ in his experience.

They brought him into their little group and at Jennifer's suggestion they decided to play a few games. First up: impressions. They chose members of the expedition for each other to impersonate, sometimes putting two together in an _ad libbed_ conversation. Jennifer and Rodney brought down the house with their rendition of a conversation between the expedition commander and its military commander with Jennifer as Woolsey and Rodney as Sheppard. At the end, she took him by the hand and they bowed to their audience.

Afterward, he passed a beer to each of the women and took one for himself, their third. He'd only taken one sip when Jennifer took it away from him.

"Hey!"

"Sorry." She didn't sound repentant at all. "It's time to put up or shut up, McKay!" A chorus of agreement went though the group as they swayed over to the mellow side of the street.

"Okay. Who's up first?" A short intense argument ensued. Each of the women wanted to go first. He brought the disagreement to a halt with a short sharp whistle. "I have an idea. Everyone sit in a circle." While they shifted positions, he reached for one of the empties lined up on the edge of the rail accidentally knocking another off. He watched it fall but they were up so high they didn't even hear the splash. "Oops! Alright, now this is going to be 'Spin the Bottle' with a twist. Instead of kissing, though I admit that would be incredibly, uh, never mind. Instead of kissing, I will massage the feet and paint the toenails of the person the bottle points to. We'll do it again and again until everyone's done."

All were in agreement so he reached between Amelia and Marie and gave the bottle a hard spin. When it stopped it was pointing at Jennifer.

"Do it again, Rodney. I want to go last." He did as she requested and this time it pointed at Amanda. Jennifer helped him take out the bottles of nail polish, polish remover, cotton balls, those weird pieces of foam that went between the toes and several bottles of scented lotion. Sitting down with his back against the wall for support, he squirted a small amount of lotion into his palm while she positioned herself in front of him and extended one leg. He took her foot in both hands and began massaging.

Jennifer watched the look of ecstasy on her friend's face and thought about how good it would feel to have Rodney's _oh_, so talented hands touching _her _feet as well as other more…sensitive places. She almost sighed out loud.

*****

Finally, it was Jennifer's turn. She chose a color of polish and handed it to him, letting her hand linger on his just a little longer than necessary.

He looked into her eyes and saw…what? She appeared to be sending him a message that was getting lost in translation. Or was it? If it had been any other woman he might have thought she was encouraging him to take…liberties.

Looking to her left, Jennifer, noticed that Marie was asleep on her stomach, a pillow tucked up under her chest. Amanda and Amelia were talking quietly and eating pork rinds, the spicy ones. Teyla was leaning on the rail looking out over the water, no doubt thinking about Torren and Kanaan. Jennifer could tell from the way he looked at her that Sheppard had a thing for the beautiful Athosian but he'd never act on it as long as Kanaan was still in the picture and it didn't look like that picture was going to change any time soon. Poor guy.

Rodney pressed both thumbs into the flesh just in front of Jennifer's heel and slid them over the arch to the base of the toes over and over, ruthlessly manipulating the foot and driving her almost to the brink of madness. As he'd done to the others, one hand moved up to gently squeeze and stroke her calf. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore! He was about to send her over the edge and she would rather that didn't happen while there were witnesses so she pulled her foot from his grasp. Or rather, she tried to. He refused to relinquish the extremity and they engaged in a playful tug of war. She yelped when he let go suddenly and she fell back, both feet in the air. The look he gave her was so hot she thought she'd melt. He wouldn't do that in front of others and that's when she noticed that Amanda, Amelia and Teyla were also asleep. The idea that they were now the only two awake was very enticing.

He shook the bottle of polish she'd chosen and was startled when she took it from him and set it aside. She rose up onto her knees, crawled toward him then one hand came up to touch him on the cheek. He gasped at the contact then again when her lips touched his, just a small intake of breath. Pulling her onto his lap he leaned her back and followed her down.

Her hand traveled down his neck, across his chest then worked its way under the edge of his t-shirt to touch his skin. He moaned and she swallowed the sound before it could escape. Turnabout was fair play so he lifted the edge of the t-shirt she slept in and used his fingers to examine the ridges of her spine all the way up to her shoulders and down again.

They continued to touch each other through their clothes until Rodney finally put a stop to it. He had a meeting in the morning and sleep beckoned. Pulling her back against his chest, he moved her hair aside and kissed her neck. She sighed in contentment and closed her eyes whispering, "I love you, Rodney." A few minutes later they were both asleep.

*****

When they heard gentle snoring coming from Rodney the other four women lifted their heads, watched the couple sleep for a bit then exchanged self-satisfied expressions. After a group fist bump they got comfortable and were soon asleep themselves.

**The End**


	8. The Man in Black

**A/N:** Sorry it's taken so long to get to the next chapter. If you are a regular reader then you know I've been busy. And I really appreciate you sticking with me.

Sandy

**The Friendship Files**

**Chapter 8**

**The Man in Black **

Sam Carter watched the video with a silly grin silently glad she was alone in her office. _John will love it!_ She started a new email, typed a short note, attached the video and hit send. It would go out in the next databurst. With a click and drag she moved the video to a file she kept just so she wouldn't accidentally delete things she wanted to keep and went back to work.

* * * * *

John Sheppard entered his quarters, tossed his sidearm on the desk then kicked off his boots with a groan. He propped a pillow at the head, grabbed his laptop then kicked back on the bed to slog wearily through the large number of emails and alerts he'd received from Earth. Many were delegated to a follow-up file and others actually had current information that was pertinent to Atlantis and its military personnel.

Business taken care of, he went on to the more personal emails from friends and… He was surprised to see one from his brother. They'd hardly spoken since his father's funeral though they had managed to clear the air on some points of contention. It would take some time but he was certain they'd get to a point where they could speak to each other without arguing or coming to blows.

In short, the email said that their family-owned company, Sheppard Industries, had bid on and won a contract with the US government to build components for a top-secret project. John knew the "project" was the new F-304's being developed at Area 51 but hadn't known SI was involved in the bidding process.

Knowing that his brother was involved in all sorts of top secret dealings David's concern was what would happen next. John quickly typed a reply and sent it off though it probably wasn't necessary. By the time his brother received it he would already know about the confidentiality agreement and other legal gobblety-gook that went along with such a project. The difference was that now he, John, would be able to tell his brother what he'd been doing for the past decade or so with the Stargate program. David would now be privy to the fact that his no-longer-estranged brother had been living and working in another galaxy. He could tell him about the Wraith, the human form Replicators, Goa'uld, Ori and a host of other bad guys, and good guys, that David probably never even suspected existed. He just hoped his little brother was up for it.

The sender's name on the last unread email was Carter, S. _Sam? Wonder what _**she**_ wants?_ He clicked on it and was surprised by the contents. Very pleasantly so.

_John,_

_Happy Birthday! Here's a little something to commemorate the day._

_Your friend,_

_Sam _

There was a video attachment. He hesitated a fraction of a second before opening it even though he was certain she'd never send him anything…embarrassing. Moments later he was grinning like a fool as he watched a YouTube video of a 5-year old boy playing guitar and singing _Folsom Prison Blues,_ one of his favorite songs by Johnny Cash. The boy ended the song with a small flourish then John hit replay and watched it again before sending a response.

_Sam,_

_Thanks for my birthday gift. It was perfect! Well, it woulda been if I'd had a beer to go with it! Haha!_

_Ditto,_

_John_

He hit the replay once more, grabbed his guitar and played along. As the video ended he realized once again just how lucky he was to have friends.

**End**

**A/N 2:** http(colon)//www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=oDbAxhV2ofM


	9. One Loyal Friend

**The Friendship Files**

**Chapter 9**

**One Loyal Friend**

"Now all I have to do is get him back to my quarters without waking him…or being run over." Teyla said it with a small smile so Rodney and John would know she was not too terribly upset that they'd almost tripped her with their remote control hot rods while she was carrying her son.

"Yeah, well we're done here…we're just, you know, finishing up." Rodney stuttered as an idea popped into his head. All he had to do was beat the living daylights out of John in this race then he could get started on the new project he'd just thought of.

"'Night."

"Have a good one."

The two men watched their friend until she was out of sight then went back to their car race with a vengeance.

* * * * *

Rodney looked at the scanner as he walked the dimly lit corridors of Atlantis. He was looking for a particular lab to use for this project. It had to have certain features, most notably nothing that was dangerous or had the potential to turn dangerous at some unknown time in the future and not too far from the barracks. That left a few rooms on this level, 37.

His footsteps slowed, came to a stop in front of a door that looked just like all the other doors in this corridor. And it _was_ just like the other doors. It was the contents that were different. He went to the access panel, pried the cover off, rearranged the crystals and the door opened with a grinding sound. _After ten thousand years it could use some lubricant. I'll bring some the next time I come down._

They'd explored this lab somewhere around the end of the fourth month after their arrival. The room didn't contain much of any significance so he'd shifted it to the bottom of the low-priority list and they'd just never gotten back to it. His team had had to clean before they could have a look around because, for some reason they hadn't been able to figure out, the room had been filled with dead potted plants.

The consoles were draped with white cloths now covered with almost five years of dust. "I guess the first order of business is dusting." He yanked the cover off the nearest console and coughed when dirt went up his nose and in his eyes. "Crap! I should've taken my allergy meds before I came down here." He dropped the cloth when he sneezed. "Oh, now that's just _great_! You try to be nice and _this_ is what you get for it!"

With a heartfelt sigh Rodney settled down to getting the room so clean a baby could crawl on the floor. He reached into his back pocket and removed a small device, the Ancient version of an iPod. Hooking it to the room's sound system he cranked it up loud and got to work.

* * * * *

It had taken several sleepless nights to get the room clean enough to work in but he was finally ready to get started. Setting his tool box on an inactive console he began removing the tools he would need and laying them out so he wouldn't have to rummage for them. He hummed along with the music as he got down on the floor and crawled under the console farthest from the door.

* * * * *

John watched thoughtfully as Rodney inhaled his dinner then headed out the patio exit of the Mess Hall without bothering to say good-bye…again. This had been going on for a week now, passing annoying around the third day, and had segued into downright maddening, aggravating, irritating and a few other adjectives he didn't want to think about because then he'd be tempted to say them and that wouldn't be good for his image. Not that he cared what people thought of him but he had to maintain the fiction that he did if only because of his position in Atlantis.

Well, tonight was the proverbial straw. He got up, leaving his unfinished meal and a full glass of tea on the table, and trailed after Rodney. It wasn't that he had an insatiable curiosity. He just really, really wanted to know what was going on and it bugged him when he was left out of the loop.

The physicist had no idea he was being followed so he didn't try to hide his destination but John still lost him when he stepped into a transport and disappeared in a flicker of light. By the time John got there someone else had used it and the Colonel ended up outside the gym. He was certain there was no way his friend would be working out just after eating but he made a quick check of the training rooms nearby just in case.

With a growl of frustration he went down the hall to the stairs and took them two at a time to the next level. The original _Brian's Song_ was playing in the rec room tonight and he didn't want to miss the beginning.

* * * * *

After determining that Teyla and Torren were in their quarters and asleep for once, Rodney decided to take a night off before springing his surprise on the Athosian. He rushed through the food line gathering up enough to feed at least three people then headed out. Jennifer had been very understanding while he worked on his special project. She'd even come down and kept him company a couple of times but tonight was the night he would make it all up to her…if she could get away from the Infirmary. They'd planned on having dinner together but she'd had to do emergency surgery so he was meeting her at her quarters with a hot meal and, hopefully, a night of cuddling with the woman he loved.

He walked down the hall with a jaunty bounce to his step, entered the transport then was gone. What he didn't see was John skidding to a stop in front of that same transport seconds later just ahead of Radek Zelenka. He said a hurried "Excuse me, Doc", jumped inside the small room and vanished leaving a very puzzled physicist staring at the closed doors with his mouth open.

John appeared on the barracks level but stayed inside the transport peeking cautiously around the door. He heard Rodney humming as he walked down the hall and hurried in that direction. His footsteps carried him to a junction and he saw his quarry just making a left turn a little ways down. When he arrived at that same corner he edged around it then jogged a few steps to the next turn.

He arrived just in time to see Jennifer's door open. She was dressed in a slinky nighty and smiling brightly up at Rodney. The physicist murmured a greeting as the physician took the food trays from him. She turned away just as Rodney took that final step inside so the door could close.

John made an abrupt about face when he saw Jennifer throw her arms around Rodney, pull his head down for a hot kiss then drag him towards the bed while pushing his jacket off his shoulders. Thankfully the door closed before he saw more than he wanted to of either of them.

His long strides carried him down the hall, around a few more corners then to his own door. A swipe of his hand over the bioscanner and he was inside. With a growl of frustration he reached out with a booted foot and kicked the crap out of a pile of dirty clothes. That done, he sat on the side of his bed, pulled off his boots, socks and uniform, gathered up the items he'd just strewn across the floor, dumped it all in the laundry basket then went into the bathroom. He emerged a few minutes later, skin and hair damp from the shower, his pajamas sticking to his body.

Still a little ticked that he'd once again been thwarted in his mission to discover Rodney's secret he threw himself down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He wanted to go to sleep but couldn't so he sat up and reached for his guitar. After tuning it by ear he began to strum one of his favorite tunes, one that always relaxed him. His favorite artist was Johnny Cash but sometimes this was the one song that would stop the spinning wheels inside his head. He didn't have a great voice but it didn't matter because he didn't have an audience. "_When you're weary…feelin' small….when tears are in your eyes, I'll dry them all_…_I'm on your side…_"

* * * * *

Morning came and Rodney slipped carefully out of Jennifer's bed. The room was cool so he pulled the covers up to her neck tucking them around her back and shoulders. She moaned in her sleep and rolled into the warmth left by his body but thankfully did not wake up. He dressed quietly in the dark then set her alarm to get her up for her shift at noon. After one last look at her beautiful face, vulnerable and almost child-like in sleep, he was gone.

The end of the day couldn't have come quickly enough for him and now that he was off duty he would show Teyla what he'd been working on for the last week or so. Hopefully she, and Torren, would finally be able to get some much needed rest.

He touched his headset. "McKay to Teyla."

"_Yes, Rodney_." Even her voice sounded tired and he could hear her son fretting in the background.

"I have a strange request. Could you meet me on level 37 of the tower near section 281B?"

He heard her huff of annoyance in his ear. "_I am sorry but Torren is very fussy tonight and…_"

"Bring him along. I promise you will understand once you get here." There was silence while she thought it over.

"_Alright. We will meet you in a few minutes_."

* * * * *

Teyla and a sniffling Torren met Rodney at the requested spot. He could see the dark circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep. Kanaan was offworld and the poor woman had to cope with a colicky child on her own. She had everyone in the expedition but had refused their help much of the time. Mostly because Torren was at the age where he didn't want to go to anyone but his parents.

She didn't waste any time on small talk. "What is it you wish for me to see that could not wait until morning?" Rodney gestured for her to follow him farther down the hall. He opened the door of the lab he'd been working in then gestured for her to proceed him. "It is just another Ancient lab, Rodney." She raised her voice when Torren began crying louder spurring the physicist to hurry.

He pulled the cover off one of the consoles with a flourish and waited to be praised. The console revealed had been reworked and now had an indention in the middle. Its height had been shortened until the surface was even with the cot beside it. The depression was curved in the same way a child's car seat is with a thick cushion and raised sides all covered with a small Athosian blanket. Safety straps were included. "This, my dear Ms. Emmagan, is the answer to all your troubles. Well, at least the ones that are keeping you from sleeping."

Her eyes showed her confusion. "_Torren_ is what is keeping me awake at night, Rodney. How…"

"What you see before you is the soon to be patented McKay Baby Soother. That's…just a working name, by the way. We can figure out the details later."

"How does this…device help me to sleep?" She had to raise her voice to be heard over Torren's cries.

Rodney put out both hands gesturing and Teyla obediently passed her son to the physicist. His crying slowed at the touch of someone other than his mother then began again…until Rodney laid him gently into the indention. The boy kicked his legs and squirmed trying to get out but that eventuality had been taken into account and he could not get leverage as Rodney buckled him in.

Touching the white power control pad, the console began to vibrate but the crying continued so Rodney touched another control and the sound of a car engine drifted into the air. Torren gave a few more sobs then stopped. As Rodney and Teyla watched the boy sniffed a few times then was quiet. A few minutes later he was asleep.

"Rodney! How did you…" The frazzled and shocked mother whispered.

Rodney drew her to the controls pointing out each and describing its function. "Power turns on the vibration. These buttons allow you to add different sounds, a car engine, and tires as they move over the road, the sounds of other vehicles, even potholes. They can be used separately or in any combination until you find one that works."

"This is amazing! That sound. Is it a simulation of a…car?"

"Yeah." Rodney looked down at his hands a moment as he explained, "I told you my parents just let me cry myself to sleep when I was colicky. Well, that didn't work with Jeannie. The only thing that soothed her was riding in the car. My dad would drive all over Vancouver in the middle of the night. If he was out of town on business, mom would take the three of us out for a drive until she went to sleep."

"What is this one for?"

He stared at the indicated touch control as if he'd never seen it before. "Oh! It, uh, well in addition to the ride we'd sometimes have to roll the windows down so the breeze would blow in her face. It was no fun in winter, I can tell you."

Teyla made a small laugh then hugged him. "I cannot believe you did all of this. Thank you, Rodney!"

"You're my friend and I couldn't stand watching the two of you suffer when I could easily do something about it." He moved her away from him. "Well, it wasn't that easy but you get the idea. The cot is so you can sleep here when he's especially fussy. That way you don't have to carry him back to your room." Teyla and Rodney watched her son sleep for a few silent moments.

She gave Rodney's hand a squeeze, he put his arm around her shoulders while she leaned into him and said, "We have a saying: One loyal friend is worth ten thousand good intentions by strangers."

"We have a similar saying. Um, I do have one request."

Looking up at him she smiled and rested her head against his chest for a moment. "You have done such a great…kindness that I will never be able to adequately repay you. What is your request?"

"Don't tell anyone about this. I've got a reputation as a curmudgeon to uphold."

"A what? What is a cur-cur…"

"…mudgen. Spoilsport. Killjoy. Sourpuss. Grouch."

"Ah." The light of understanding dawned in Teyla's eyes. "I promise I will not tell _anyone_ what a wonderfully unselfish and thoughtful thing you have done for me and my son." She kissed him on the cheek making him blush.

They turned quickly when a voice came from the open doorway. "_I_ promise not to tell either." John was leaning on the doorjamb, arms and ankles crossed.

"John! What are you…how did you find me…us?"

John pushed off and walked over to look down at the sleeping child. "It was an amazing feat of deduction and logic taking into account more than a few random factors that…"

Rodney crossed his arms and glared at his friend. "You followed me, didn't you?"

"Uh…yeah." The Colonel said with a sheepish grin while the physicist snorted.

"Rodney, what is the refrigerator for?"

"Ah, now _that_, in my opinion, is one of the best features of this room." He opened it and inside was a selection of Teyla's favorite drinks. On top was a box of power bars and MRE's. "Just in case you get hungry or, you know, thirsty."

"Yeah, you _would_ think that's the best part." John said derisively. Rodney mocked him then turned back to the Athosian.

"It seems you have thought of everything, Rodney. Thank you again."

"You're welcome. Uh, why don't Colonel McSnoops-a-lot and I get out of here and let you and, uh, Torren get some rest?"

* * * * *

Out in the hall the two men headed for the transport and stepped inside. "You know, Rodney, that really was a nice thing to do and a _great_ idea."

"I _know_." He said smugly as the light flickered and took them away.

**The End**


	10. A Simple Gesture

**A/N:** Many thanks to LoneRanger for the idea for Rodney and Ronon's night on the town.

**The Friendship Files**

**A Simple Gesture**

"_May the best man win."_

The words rang in Rodney's ears as he thought once again about when Jennifer had been kidnapped by the Runner, Kiryk. He readily admitted that if Ronon hadn't been there neither he nor Jennifer would have survived the Wraith attack. He knew his limitations, his tracking skills were non-existent, and at the very least, Jennifer might have died.

He'd gone to the workout room when they'd returned from their ordeal to thank his teammate for saving their lives and ended up confronting him about Jennifer. He'd regretted his silence when Ronon had died on the Wraith ship without ever knowing how much Rodney appreciated his abilities…and his friendship. That was why, at this moment, he was once again searching out the Satedan.

Rodney finally found Ronon standing on the balcony that overlooked the Golden Gate Bridge watching the sunlight disappear from the sky to be replaced by the lights of the city and the stars. In an hour or so the moon would put in an appearance. It was strange to see only one moon instead of the two he was used to. But still this _was_ home no matter how long he'd been away. Nearly five years, he reflected with a small smile.

Jeannie and her family would be coming to San Francisco in a week to visit him and the friends she'd made during her brief stay on Atlantis when they built the space-time bridge. Rodney rolled his eyes thinking about how they'd actually caused more problems than they'd solved. A part of him was still a bit smug that her idea hadn't worked as well as she'd hoped but the greater part was proud that she'd come up with the calculations that had made the attempt possible. If Jennifer had turned down his invitation to attend Tunney's debacle of a demonstration he'd planned on taking Jeannie. It all worked out in the end though. They'd saved Earth…again and Jennifer loved him.

The physicist brought his mind back to the reason for seeking out the Satedan and cleared his throat to announce his presence. "I, uh, don't mean to intrude."

"You're not."

"Mind if I join you?" Rodney asked and Ronon shrugged. The physicist was unsure how to say what he'd come to say. Neither of them was very forthcoming with their feelings so this was going to be almost as hard as when he'd confronted him about Jennifer in the first place. And it was past time to make the simple gesture.

Rodney cleared his throat. "I, uh…nice night."

"Yeah."

"Lots of stars." He only received a grunt in reply. "You been to the mainland yet?"

"No."

They lapsed into silence again and Rodney still had no idea how to broach the subject. He began drumming on the railing but Ronon shot him an annoyed glance so he stopped.

"Look, the reason I'm here is, well…" he reached into his pocket and drew out two tickets, "…I just happened to have these and was wondering if, uh, maybe you'd like to go to Extreme Fighter Amateur Night in Atlantic City tonight and…"

"Extreme Fighter?"

"Sheppard said its mixed martial arts fighting. Not sure what that is but it should be exciting…if you're into that sort of thing, which I know you are."

Ronon stared at him then unexpectedly smiled and hooked an arm around Rodney's neck. "Sounds like fun. Let's go!"

"W-w-wait! _Us_?" The physicist's eye went wide in near panic. "You and me? _Together_?"

"Yeah!" He kept his arm around Rodney's neck dragging him along.

"But, uh, I thought you'd wanna take…"

"Went to visit her family. Won't be back for three days."

Rodney managed to shrug off Ronon's arm. "O-O-Okay. The, uh, _General Hammond_ is in orbit. They'll beam you, uh, _us_ over whenever we're ready."

"When?"

"Uh, 1845 in the Gate Room?"

"Great!" Ronon slapped him on the back a little too hard then took off.

Rodney tapped his headset. "Hey, Jennifer. I'll have to skip dinner tonight." He winced when her voice rose in a fit of pique. "It's important…_no_, not as important as meeting your dad but I'll meet him next week when my sister's here…Yes, of _course_ I won't forget…Love you." As he headed for his quarters to change, he wondered how a simple thank you could have become so complicated.

**0238 - Atlantis Gate Room**

"Atlantis, this is _Hammond_." The voice coming over the PA sounded loud in the quiet of Atlantis' graveyard shift.

Chuck dropped his feet to the deck and activated the comm. "This is Atlantis. What've you got for us?"

"We have…" Chuck's brow wrinkled in confusion when he heard caterwauling in the background. "…Doctor McKay and Ronon Dex ready to transport."

"Send 'em down, _Hammond_ and thanks for the lift."

"No prob-NO! Doctor McKay, _please_ leave that-" There was a loud electronic squeal, the start of an oath that was cut off then two figures appeared in the open area just in front of the bridge that led to Woolsey's office. The men were in civilian clothes, arms around each other and laughing. Ronon had a nearly empty bottle in his free hand. He also had a split lip, torn clothing with spots of blood all over and one _heck_ of a shiner.

And Rodney…well, he was wearing the biggest, gaudiest fake gold belt Chuck had ever seen. The "buckle" was so big that sitting down would no doubt seriously impair the wearer's ability to procreate.

Chuck stood there staring at the two men as they swayed on their feet. He cautiously approached them but stepped back when he was hit with a wall of alcohol fumes that would kill a Wraith at ten paces. Finally, the gate tech found his voice and asked tentatively, "Doctor McKay, Ronon, are you guys okay?"

For a response, the two men began singing again. From the lyrics, it had to be a Satedan song. It was filled with references to killing Wraith in any number of unpleasant and extremely painful ways.

Rodney trailed off, hiccupped then began to sway dangerously so Chuck quickly rolled his chair behind him. He unbuckled the oversized belt and let it fall to the floor then grabbed a handful of Rodney's jacket when he started to pitch forward and sat him in the chair. Ronon didn't notice and kept singing though now he seemed to have forgotten the words.

As he watched, Ronon took a long drink from the bottle, belched then in slow motion, fell face down on the carpet. Seconds later, loud snores erupted from the big man. Chuck let out a long-suffering sigh, tapped his headset and made a call. A squad of soldiers quickly appeared and he directed them to take the men to their quarters while he picked up the dropped bottle. The cap was gone so he just shoved the bottle in a storeroom down the hall intending to dispose of it at the end of his shift. He then made a call to maintenance to have the spilled alcohol cleaned up before it burned a hole in the carpet.

"What's _that_ all about?" Another tech, Sergeant Kwon, asked Chuck as he rolled his chair back to his workstation.

"Not a clue. They don't usually hang out together on their off time."

"What was in that bottle you were hiding?"

"I wasn't _hiding_ it and it was Everclear. The 'good' stuff. Almost empty, too." Chuck rested his left heel on the edge of the console near to the DHD, crossed his right over it, scooted down in the chair and pulled his workstation onto his lap. Since it was obvious that no more would be said on the subject, Kwon went back to monitoring the long-range sensors.

**0800 - McKay's Quarters**

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Rodney rolled over, wrapped the covers around himself and walked to the door, the lower edge of the blanket dragging across the floor. It slid open to show John, fist raised, ready to bang on the door again.

"What the _hell_ did you do last night, McKay? You look like…"

The physicist raised a finger in warning. "If you say I look like Shrödinger's _cat_, I warn you, revenge will be swift, sure and absolute."

"I wasn't gonna say that." John followed Rodney back inside and stopped him as he tried to climb back into bed. "Whoa there, pal. We've got a meeting at 0900. You need to get dressed." When he smelled his friend's breath, he said, "Maybe get a shower and brush your teeth, too. And shave…your tongue." He went to the door after making sure Rodney had gone into the bathroom. "If you aren't in the Mess Hall in 20, I'll be back. With reinforcements!"

* * * * *

Rodney walked into the Mess Hall 22 minutes and 42 seconds later, grabbed a cup and the entire coffee pot then joined his friends at their usual table. He sat down, poured some of the hot liquid then took a long drink. He looked up to see Ronon sitting across from him.

The Satedan was shoveling food into his mouth as if he were starving. He stared at Rodney then said, "What's wrong?"

"Hangover. Don't tell me you've never had one."

Ronon shrugged his massive shoulders, talking with his mouth full. "No."

Teyla set her fork down. "What did the two of you _do_ last night?"

"Went to a fight." Ronon took a big drink of iced tea then wiped his mouth on a napkin.

Rodney moaned and lifted his head. "It wasn't _just_ a fight. It was Extreme Fighter Amateur Night." He pointed to Ronon. "Conan here won fifty grand by beating the _crap_ out of their champion."

John punched him on the arm. "Way to go, Chewy!" He glanced at his watch then scooted his chair back. "Gotta go. Don't forget, Rodney. Briefing. 0900."

Rodney waved him away like a pesky fly as Teyla stood up and followed him out. The physicist had his head in his hands.

"I had fun." The big guy's deep voice pierced Rodney's head like a spike making him wince.

"Good. I'd hate to think I felt this bad for no reason." He took a sip of coffee. "What happened after we left the buffet?"

"Went to a bar. Got drunk. Came home." Ronon finished eating and pushed his tray aside.

"That's _it_?" Rodney was incredulous.

"There _was_ one thing."

"What?" Now he was getting annoyed.

"A nearly-naked woman sat on your lap for a few minutes then you gave her money."

Rodney's head snapped up making him groan again. "_I_ got a _lap dance_?" Ronon just smirked and raised his eyebrows. "Oh, _crap_! If Jennifer finds out she is going to…"

"If Jennifer finds out what she's going to what?" The men hadn't heard her approach and now she stood at the end of the table, tray in hand, waiting for a response.

Rodney's eyes pleaded with him so Ronon said, "McKay took me to this fight thing last night."

"Oh. Did you have fun?"

The big man shrugged and nodded.

The medical doctor gave him a smile then turned to Rodney. "Don't forget. It's meet-the-families day a week from tomorrow."

"I won't forget." He checked the time, picked up his coffee cup and followed Ronon out. When they got to the exit he asked, "Think it's too late to tell her about the lap dance?"

**The End **


End file.
